CHVRCHES @ The Ritz, Manchester, 14 October

Get ur freak (and geek) on. CHVRCHES, for all their winning artfulness, for all that savvy remodelling of 80s synth-pop into something far-reaching and vital, are 2013’s most unassuming new act. They’re absurdly un-cool, unconcerned with the usual hollow manifestos, seemingly incapable of pose or posturing. The pitch is irresistible: musical journeymen with analogue programming nous and library-sized record collections hook up with singer with voice to die for. Initial adventures bring forth rush of tunes and attention of BBC’s Sound of 2013 list. Non-stop touring cements live reputation, builds fan-base. Debut album goes top ten. Hey, who doesn’t love a happy ending?

Tonight confirms that larger halls suit the scale of their sound and a beefed-up live presentation gives their set focus and punch. Despite a full house, they still wrestle with their onstage awkwardness: Lauren Mayberry stomping and bobbing, tangled in her mic lead; Martin Doherty careering centre stage during Under the Tide. They’re lost in, swallowed by, their music.

“Give me the bones of what you believe / Maybe they'll save you from me,” demands Lauren on the pounding Strong Hand, the album’s title track of sorts. Lies and Recover, as ever, catch fire. But it’s their freshest material, in particular the unashamed dance pop of Night Sky and By the Throat, that casts CHVRCHES as more than mere electro-revivalists. Their encore choice, a sharp reworking of Whitney Houston’s It’s Not Right But It’s Okay, confirms their range. Exiting to a roaring ovation, the band return the crowd’s applause – geek love reciprocated. And, on this evidence, it’s getting serious. [Gary Kaill]